Thoughts, Feelings, Behaviors Quiz Worksheet Overview
Feelings are emotions you can usually name in one word, like sad, worried, or angry. They often come along with sensations in your body, like a pit in your stomach or shaky hands.
Thoughts are words or images in our heads. They usually need more than one word to describe, like “I can’t do this” or imagining your favorite place. Thoughts and emotions often go together, and people sometimes confuse them because we say things like, “I felt like he was wrong. ” In that case, the thought is “He was wrong, ” and the emotion might be frustration.
Behaviors are things that we do – actions like frowning, walking away, or speaking. Sometimes therapists also talk about behavior urges, which are urges or impulses to act.
An example might be an urge to yell during an argument (even if you chose to stay calm instead). Being able to name and distinguish between our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors is an important skill. Many coping skills or therapy techniques help you to change how you think, feel, or behave – but they work best if you know how you’re thinking, feeling, or behaving.
ChoosingTherapy.com strives to provide our readers with mental health content that is accurate and actionable. We have high standards for what can be cited within our worksheets. Acceptable sources include government agencies, universities and colleges, scholarly journals, industry and professional associations, and other high-integrity sources of mental health journalism. Learn more by reviewing our full editorial policy.
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Beck, A. T., Rush, A. J., Shaw, B. F., & Emery, G. (1979). Cognitive therapy of depression. Guilford Press.
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Hofmann, S. G., Asnaani, A., Vonk, I. J. J., Sawyer, A. T., & Fang, A. (2012). The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 36(5), 427-440. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-012-9476-1
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NHS. (n.d.). Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/talking-therapies-and-counselling/cognitive-behavioural-therapy-cbt/overview/
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National Institute of Mental Health. (2024). Psychotherapies. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/psychotherapies
More Thoughts, Feelings, Behaviors Worksheets
Below you’ll find an additional Thoughts, Feelings, Behaviors worksheet allowing users to engage with the concept through journaling.
Thoughts, Feelings, Behaviors, Journaling Exercise
This worksheet will help you distinguish between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors through a journaling exercise.
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